Baingan Bharta (Eggplant)

Baingan Bharta is mashed eggplant cooked with spiced tomato very flavorful dish. Traditionally bharta is made with charcoal roasted eggplant but I have adopted it to the modern kitchen. This is a very popular dish in Punjab usually served with roti.

Recipe will serve 2 to 3.

Ingredients:

1 Eggplant (should be big and fat)

2 medium size tomatoes

1/2 cup red bell pepper cut in small pieces (capsicum)

1 green chili

1/4 inch piece of ginger

3 tablespoons oil

Pinch of asafetida

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon red chili

1 teaspoon sat adjust to taste

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

2 tablespoon chopped cilantro to garnish

Method:

Cook the whole eggplant (put it on a microwave safe dish) in microwave for 8 to 10 minutes until it is tender. If you are using an oven, preheat the oven at 400 degrees F and bake it for about 45 minutes turning the sides every fifteen minutes. Be sure to first put the eggplant in an oven safe shallow bowl or a cookie sheet.

Let it cool and peel off the skin then chop the eggplant in small pieces and keep aside.

Blend the tomatoes, ginger and green chili.

Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium high and stir fry the bell pepper for about a minute. Take out the bell pepper from pan and keep aside.

Use the same saucepan with remaining oil heat the oil little more. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away it is ready. Add asafetida and cumin seed.

After cumin seeds crack, add tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili, and salt and let it cook for a few minutes until tomato puree has started leaving the oil.

Add eggplant let it cook on medium heat keep stirring the eggplant and mashing the eggplant as it cooks.

Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add bell pepper, fresh cilantro, and garam masala to the eggplant and mix it gently.